MAY 11 Fourth Sunday after
Easter
Twilight Zone Day
1 Maccabees, Chapter 12, Verse
39-42
39Then
Trypho sought to become king of Asia, assume the diadem, and do violence to
King Antiochus. 40 But he was afraid that Jonathan
would not permit him, but would fight against him. Looking for a way to seize
and kill him, he set out and came to Beth-shan. 41 Jonathan marched out to meet him
with forty thousand picked fighting men and came to Beth-shan. 42 But when Trypho saw that Jonathan
had arrived with a large army he was AFRAID
to do him violence.
Blessed
are the meek, for they will inherit the earth-yes. Jonathan was speaking softly
yet at the same time he was carrying a big stick which was his large army with
him. As a former police officer we would in order to prevent any trouble show
up in force thus preventing the need to take action.
Yet
we must always be cautious for often
evil men are vile and full of trickery. In this case Jonathan is finally undone
for he is sucked into accepting gifts and praise from Trypho thus letting go of
his stick; his army and is finally captured and killed.
Pride
often goes before the fall.
Is
America doing the same?
Flawed
Men Seek Love Wrongly[1]
27 The desire for God is written in
the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never
ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness
he never stops searching for:
The dignity of
man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This
invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into
being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and
through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according
to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his
creator.
28 In many ways, throughout history
down to the present day, men have given expression to their quest for God in
their religious beliefs and behavior: in their prayers, sacrifices, rituals,
meditations, and so forth. These forms of religious expression, despite the
ambiguities they often bring with them, are so universal that one may well call
man a religious being:
From one ancestor
[God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of
their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that
they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him - though indeed
he is not far from each one of us. For "in him we live and move and have
our being."
29 But this "intimate and vital
bond of man to God" (GS 19 § 1) can be forgotten, overlooked, or even
explicitly rejected by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt
against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and
riches of this world; the scandal of bad example on the part of believers;
currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man
which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call.
30 "Let the hearts of those who
seek the LORD rejoice." Although man can forget God or reject him, He
never ceases to call every man to seek him, so as to find life and happiness.
But this search for God demands of man every effort of intellect, a sound will,
"an upright heart", as well as the witness of others who teach him to
seek God.
You are great, O
Lord, and greatly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is without
measure. And man, so small a part of your creation, wants to praise you: this
man, though clothed with mortality and bearing the evidence of sin and the proof
that you withstand the proud. Despite everything, man, though but a small a
part of your creation, wants to praise you. You yourself encourage him to
delight in your praise, for you have made us for yourself, and our heart is
restless until it rests in you.
ON KEEPING
THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[2]
CHAPTER III
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The day of the Church
35. Therefore, the dies Domini
is also the dies Ecclesiae. This is why on the pastoral level the
community aspect of the Sunday celebration should be particularly stressed. As
I have noted elsewhere, among the many activities of a parish, "none is as
vital or as community-forming as the Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and
his Eucharist". Mindful of this, the Second Vatican Council recalled that
efforts must be made to ensure that there is "within the parish, a lively
sense of community, in the first place through the community celebration of
Sunday Mass". Subsequent liturgical directives made the same point, asking
that on Sundays and holy days the Eucharistic celebrations held normally in
other churches and chapels be coordinated with the celebration in the parish
church, in order "to foster the sense of the Church community, which is
nourished and expressed in a particular way by the community celebration on
Sunday, whether around the Bishop, especially in the Cathedral, or in the
parish assembly, in which the pastor represents the Bishop".
Fourth
Sunday after Easter[3] A description of
the meekness and patience of Christ's flock and an explanation of the necessity
of the Ascension.
THE
Introit of the Mass of to-day is a song of praise and thanksgiving.
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle,
alleluia, for the Lord hath done wonderful things, alleluia. He hath revealed
His justice in the sight of the gentiles, alleluia, alleluia. His right hand
hath wrought for Him salvation, and His arm is holy.
Prayer.
O God, Who dost unite the hearts of
the faithful in one will, grant to Thy people to love what Thou commandest, and
to desire what Thou dost promise, that among the changes of this world our
hearts may be fixed on that place where true joys reside.
EPISTLE. James i. 17-21.
Dearly Beloved: Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. For of His own will hath He begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of His creatures. You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Practice.
In
this epistle the Church teaches us that every good gift comes from God. But the
most precious gift is, that He of His grace through the doctrines and
institutions of Christianity, has made us new men, children of God, and heirs
of the kingdom of heaven. The Church admonishes us, further, to walk worthy of
this grace; to love God as our Father, to listen to His word willingly, without
complaining when He chastises us, and to shun all impurity, anger, and
multiplicity of words, in which “there shall not want sin” (Prov. x. 19).
Aspiration.
Help me, O God, to preserve the grace received in baptism; give me, therefore, a great love for Thy word. Deliver me from all inordinate passions, that I may walk worthy of Thee, purely and with patience.
GOSPEL. John xvi. 5-14.
At that time Jesus said to His
disciples: I go to Him that sent Me; and none of you asketh Me: Whither goest
Thou? But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your
heart. But I tell you the truth: it is expedient to you that I go: for if I go
not, the Paraclete will not come to you: but if I go, I will send Him to you.
And when He is come, He will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of
judgment; of sin: because they believed not in Me. And of justice: because I go
to the Father: and you shall see Me no longer. And of judgment: because the
prince of this world is already judged. I have yet many things to say to you:
but you cannot bear them now. But when He the Spirit of truth is come, He will
teach you all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself; but what things soever
He shall hear, He shall speak, and the things that are to come He shall show
you. He shall glorify Me because He shall receive of Mine and shall show it to
you.
Why
did Jesus say, “I go to My Father”?
To reprove
His disciples for giving way to excessive sorrow over His departure, which was
to be the means of purifying and strengthening their virtue, and of perfecting
the work of redemption, for them and for all the world. Learn from this, not to
give way to too much sorrow in adversity.
How
has the Holy Ghost convinced the world of sin, of justice, and of judgment?
He has
convinced the world:
1.
of
sin, by making the Jews know and lament the monstrous crime which they
committed against Christ, and this He effected particularly at Pentecost.
2.
Of
justice, by teaching the innocence and holiness of Jesus, on account of which
God gave Him a kingdom, and required men to worship Him as the true God.
3.
Of
judgment, by everywhere overcoming the prince of darkness, destroying his
kingdom, casting down the temples of idolatry, and in their place, by seemingly
weak means, establishing the kingdom of truth and virtue.
How
does the Holy Ghost teach all truths?
By
preserving the pastors and teachers of the Church from all errors, in their
teaching of faith and morals, and by instructing each member of the Church in
the truths of salvation.
Aspiration.
Whither am I going? Will my life
bring me to God? O my God and my Lord direct my feet in the way of Thy commandments,
and keep my heart free from sin, that the Holy Ghost, finding nothing in me
worthy of punishment, may teach me all truth, and bring me safely to Thee, Who
art the eternal truth. Amen.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
Day 328 2558-2565.
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE-PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
2558 "Great is the mystery of the faith!"
The Church
professes this mystery in the Apostles' Creed (Part One) and celebrates it in
the sacramental liturgy (Part Two), so that the life of the faithful may be
conformed to Christ in the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father (Part
Three).
This
mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate
it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the
living and true God. This relationship is prayer.
WHAT IS
PRAYER?
For me, prayer is a surge of the heart;
it is a simple look turned toward heaven,
it is a cry of recognition and of love,
embracing both trial and joy.
Prayer as
God's gift
2559 "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to
God or the requesting of good things from God."
But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or
"out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart?
He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of
prayer,
Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we
ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer.
"Man is a beggar before God."
2560 "If you knew the gift of God!"
The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water:
there, Christ comes to meet every human being.
It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking
arises from the depths of God's desire for us.
Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with
ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.
2561 "You would have asked him, and he would have
given you living water."
Paradoxically our prayer of petition is a response to the plea of the living
God:
"They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn out
cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water!"
Prayer is the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also a
response of love to the thirst of the only Son of God.
Prayer as
covenant
2562 Where does prayer come from?
Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who
prays.
But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or
the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times).
According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays.
If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.
2563 The heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I
live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place
"to which I withdraw."
The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others;
only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully.
The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives.
It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death.
It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation:
it is the place of covenant.
2564 Christian prayer is a covenant relationship between
God and man in Christ.
It is the action of God and of man, springing forth from both the Holy Spirit
and ourselves, wholly directed to the Father, in union with the human will of
the Son of God made man.
Prayer as communion
2565 In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship
of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with his
Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit.
The grace of the Kingdom is "the union of the entire holy and royal
Trinity . . . with the whole human spirit."
Thus, the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the
thrice-holy God and in communion with him.
This communion of life is always possible because, through Baptism, we have
already been united with Christ.
Prayer is Christian insofar as it is communion with Christ and extends
throughout the Church, which is his Body.
Its dimensions are those of Christ's love.
Mother’s Day
In honor of Mother’s Day, here are
a few quotes from John Paul II’s apostolic letter On the Dignity of Women (Mulieris Dignitatem) about the
unique vocation of motherhood.[1]
John Paul II: “Motherhood involves a special
communion with the mystery of life, as it develops in the mother’s womb. The
mother is filled with wonder at this mystery of life, and ‘understands’ with unique
intuition what is happening inside her. In the light of the ‘beginning’, the
mother accepts and loves as a person the child she is carrying in her womb.
This unique contact with the new human being developing within her gives rise
to an attitude towards human beings – not only towards her own child, but every
human being – which profoundly marks the woman’s personality.”
“Motherhood
implies from the beginning a special openness to the new person: and this is precisely the woman’s
‘part’. In this openness, in conceiving and giving birth to a child, the woman
‘discovers herself through a sincere gift of self’.”
“Human parenthood is something
shared by both the man and the woman. Even if the woman, out of love for her
husband, says: ‘I have given you a child’, her words also mean: ‘This is our
child’. Although both of them together are parents of their child, the woman’s motherhood constitutes a special
‘part’ in this shared parenthood, and the most demanding part.
Parenthood – even though it belongs to both – is realized much more fully in
the woman, especially in the prenatal period. It is the woman who ‘pays’
directly for this shared generation, which literally absorbs the energies of
her body and soul. It is therefore necessary that the man be fully
aware that in their shared program of parenthood he owes a special debt to
the woman.”
John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem (1988), no. 18
Mother's
Day Top Events and Things to Do[2]
·
Take
mom out to brunch or dinner. Be sure to book in advance as Mother's Day
brunches are always very busy.
·
Clean
the house for your mother or grandmother.
·
Send
mom and grandma flowers. You can either pick them up or deliver them yourself
if you are nearby or use one of many online services that ship directly to her
door.
·
Give
mom a gift she will really appreciate - a day at the spa or a weekend off.
·
A
simple phone call to mom will suffice. Let her know that you love her and think
about her.
Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin
O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
·
Mother’s Day
Tea at The Plaza—Mom is always fussing over you;
now’s your chance to turn the tables -- in style. Treat Mom to afternoon tea at
The Plaza’s Tea Room. A tradition since the hotel opened in 1907, tea at this
NYC landmark has inspired scenes in popular films and novels, including
Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Mom can enjoy a selection of sandwiches and
savories from the Fitzgerald Tea for the Ages and The New Yorker menus.
o Acadia Farms Mother’s Day Tea Arizona
[2]http://www.wincalendar.com/Mothers-Day
Twilight Zone Day[4]
I think the current rulers of this world are
stranger than the twilight zone where everything was strange and surreal, and
nothing was ever quite as it seems to be.
“You are about to enter another dimension, a
dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous
land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!”
Beloved by children, teenagers, and adults alike,
the cult classic TV show The Twilight Zone has affected entire generations of
people, prompting them to take a closer look at life and various phenomena and
take nothing for granted, thanks to its unique combination of science fiction,
mystery, and thriller/horror themes. Not to mention how many of today’s
well-known actors got their start in it—Burt Reynolds, Leonard Nimoy and
William Shatner, to name but a few. How then could this majorly influential
show not have its own holiday?
The Twilight Zone was created by acclaimed
television producer Rod Sterling in 1959, with the first episode premiering on
October 2nd. At the time of its release, it was vastly different from anything
else on TV, and it struggled a bit to carve out a niche for itself at the very
beginning. In fact, Sterling himself, though respected and adored by many, was
famous for being one of Hollywood’s most controversial characters and was often
call the “angry young man” of Hollywood for his numerous clashes with television
executives and sponsors over issues such as censorship, racism, and war.
However, his show soon gained a large, devoted audience. Terry Turner of the
Chicago Daily News gave it a rave review, saying, “…Twilight Zone is about the
only show on the air that I actually look forward to seeing. It’s the one
series that I will let interfere with other plans”. The Twilight Zone ran for
five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964.
Twilight Zone Day is an annual holiday created to
celebrate this thought-provoking television series, where everything was
strange and surreal, and nothing was ever quite as it seemed to be.
How to celebrate Twilight Zone Day
There are a number of ways to celebrate Twilight
Zone Day, and the one you choose may be connected to how well you know this TV
series. Believe it or not, there are still people out there who have never seen
it! You could watch some episodes from the classic series, perhaps “To Serve
Man”, “It’s a Good Life”, or “The Eye of the Beholder”, episodes that are
widely considered some of the very best in the entire series. If you don’t know
the series and would like to get a taste of what it was like in a nutshell, you
could also watch the 1983 Twilight Zone Movie. If, on the other hand, you know
The Twilight Zone very well, you could get together with some other Twilight
Zone aficionados and play Twilight board or trivia games. Alternately, you
could discuss who you think were the strangest Twilight Zone villains, and what
the true reasons were for them being the way they were. And what would a good
party be without some tasty drinks? Yes, there are Twilight Zone cocktails!
Finally, you can try making Twilight Zone cocktails,
by mixing Bacardi White, Dark and 151 Proof Rum, Triple Sec, pineapple and
orange juices. Sounds pretty scrumptious, right? And that’s not its only
benefit—if you have a few Twilight Zone Cocktails, you may well find yourself
transported to a different dimension, too!
Feast of the day:
Drink: Twilight
Zone Cocktails
Soup: Chicken-Orzo
Soup with 10 Vegetables
Main dish: An
Israeli Spread for the Feast of St. James the Just
Dessert: Kunāfah
THIS WE
BELIEVE
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Prayer After Mass
Lord
Jesus Christ, take all my freedom,
my memory, my understanding, and my will.
All that I have and cherish
you have given me.
I surrender it all to be guided by Your will.
Your grace and Your love
are enough for me.
Give me these, Lord Jesus,
and I ask for nothing more. Amen.
Claire’s Corner
·
Today in honor of
the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your
day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday.
Don’t forget the internet.
·
Nationally Military Appreciate Month
On Sundays Pray:
O
Glorious Queen of Heaven and Earth, Virgin Most Powerful, thou who hast the power
to crush the head of the ancient serpent with thy heel, come and exercise this
power flowing from the grace of thine Immaculate Conception. Shield us under
the mantle of thy purity and love, draw us into the sweet abode of thy heart
and annihilate and render impotent the forces bent on destroying us. Come Most
Sovereign Mistress of the Holy Angels and Mistress of the Most Holy Rosary,
thou who from the very beginning hast received from God the power and the
mission to crush the head of Satan. Send forth thy holy legions, we humbly
beseech thee, that under thy command and by thy power they may pursue the evil
spirits, counter them on every side, resist their bold attacks and drive them
far from us, harming no one on the way, binding them to the foot of the
Cross to be judged and sentenced by Jesus Christ Thy Son and to be disposed of
by Him as He wills.
St.
Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, come to our aid in this grave battle
against the forces of darkness, repel the attacks of the devil and free the
members of the Auxilium Christianorum, and those for whom the priests of the
Auxilium Christianorum pray, from the strongholds of the enemy.
St.
Michael, summon the entire heavenly court to engage their forces in this fierce
battle against the powers of hell. Come O Prince of Heaven with thy mighty
sword and thrust into hell Satan and all the other evil spirits. O Guardian
Angels, guide and protect us. Amen.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: End
Sex Trafficking, Slavery
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
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